Hibiki Tsukahara Arc
by Hideki Sohma
Summary: Amagami SS's Omnibus format was really something unique and amazing. The only problem? One of the best characters, Hibiki Tsukahara never had her own arc. I'm here to fix that. In the format of the series, 4 episodes long, let's give Hibiki the arc she deserves. After Haruka rejects Junichi, he decides to give up. Will he find love somewhere else?
1. Hibiki Tsukahara Arc: Episode 1: Savior

_AN: I really do love Amagami and all of its storylines and arcs. The only thing that ever really bothered me was that Hibiki never got her own romance arc. So, I thought I would fix this. I imagine that Hibiki's route would branch off from Haruka's early on. Basically, the branch off point is, what if he gave up on Haruka after she rejected him the first time? The format is like you were watching the series. Four episodes long. That being said, enjoy!_

The scene is of Junichi in a park on Christmas Eve, as snow lightly falls as Junichi's narration starts. "Two years ago, I had my heart broken. A girl I liked stood me up on Christmas eve. I was to meet her at the park, but she never showed. Only recently has my heart begun to heal. But maybe, just maybe I can give it one more chance...

Junichi stood in front of a fountain as he looked at his senior, Morishima-senpai. Recently he had spent time with her, following her around when she asked. With each passing moment he became more infatuated with her. She was beautiful, energetic, and the most popular girl in school. Clenching his fist he weakly spoke. "I...I like you."

The blue eyed girl looked up at him. "Hm?" As if she hadn't quite heard him. Taking a deep breath he said it again. "Morishima-senpai. I love you!" This time she definitely heard him. She put a finger to her chin as if to think for a moment. Finally, she hopped off her seat and looked at Junichi with a smile. "Thanks, but i'll pass."

Unable to blink or breath, his mouth opened agape. He repeated the words as if to make sure they were real. "I'll...pass?"

(Kimi no Mama de intro starts. It's the same all the way up until the end where the animation of the girl walking with her back to the camera starts. We see Hibiki's ponytail bob back and forth from behind. She stops and turns to the camera looking slightly surprised. Putting her hand on her hip she closes her eyes and lets out a sigh. She then opens her eyes and smiles at the camera)

"Junichi-kun, are you okay?" a voice shook him, as he hadn't moved an inch for a while. Finally, he snapped out of it, his voice filled with far less enthusiasm. "Hm? Oh, yeah, i'm fine. It was silly anyway." He barely managed to get through the ball in his throat.

Haruka gave him a smile. "It's all right Junichi-kun. But you're still fun to be around. I'd still love to be your friend!" the words cut through Junichi like a knife. Friends? After all that she had the nerve to... Junichi quickly bowed. "Excuse me Morishima senpai. I have to go."

Haruka titled her head confused. "Oh...okay Junichi." Getting the okay, he immediately turned around and began to power walk away from her. As he began to walk away, Hibiki saw her friend standing by the fountain, a boy walking away from her at a fast pace. As he passed her, he let out a quiet "excuse me" and kept walking. It may have been her imagination, but she could have sworn she saw a tear in his eye. Seeing him walk by, she let out a sigh.

(The episode title fades into the corner of the screen)

Hibiki Tsukahara Arc  
Episode 1: Savior

Hibiki, her hands on her hips walked over to Haruka. She had been her friend for a long time, but at times, she couldn't understand why. She was boistress, loud, and unpredictable. Boys confessed to her all the time, and it looks like this had been another one of those times. Just once it would have been nice if... she shook the thought from her head.

She looked over at her friend. "Haruka, what did you do to Tachikana?" Haruka put a finger to her lip. "What did I do? Nothing?" Hibiki raised an eyebrow. "Nothing?" Haruka shrugged in response. "All I did was say I wanted ot be freinds. What's wrong with that?" Hibiki put her face in her hand. "I swear you're hopeless Haruka." Her friend' response was a quizzical look. Hibiki sighed again. "Never mind. I'm done with swimming practice. You want to head home?" Haruka smiled and nodded. "Mhm!"

The scene faded to Junichi's house, as he walked through the front door, not even announcing his presence. He closed the door behind him and trudged upstairs. As he made it to his room he dropped his bag and opened the door to his closet. Quietly he climbed in and closed the door behind him. He clutched his pillow tightly as a grimace appeared on his face. "Never. Never again." he spoke softly.

The next day Junichi was sitting at his seat, his hand on his chin. His friend Kaoru leaned into him. "Man, you look terrible." His other friend Umehara joined in. "Yeah captain, you all right?"

There were bags under Junichi's eyes as he simply looked back at them. "I didn't get a lot of sleep last night." A smilepasses his friend Umehara's face as he leans into Junichi. "Were you up really late with a really good magazine?" Junichi shot him a "not right now" look. Kaoru put on a smirk. "Was it about a girl? Were you up all night thinking about Haruka? After all you've been pretty chummy with her lately." Junichi twitched slightly. Umehara looked back at Junichi incredulously. "eh? You lucky dog! Why have you kept that from me? I thought we were friends?" Kaoru smiled and nodded. "Right? Right? You'd think that he would want to tell everyone about it! So, tell us Junichi, is it everything you hoped for and more? Is she-"

Junichi cut her off by standing up. "Excuse me." Turning around he immediatley walked out of the room leaving behind his two best friends stunned. "Was...it something I said?" Kaoru asked confused.

Getting out of the room, Junichi exhaled a deep sigh. "Nosy busybodies." He said more to himself than anyone. A yawn escaped him. "Maybe I should go to the infirmary and take a nap."

Not even getting three steps toward his destination, a voice stopped him. "Ah! Tachibana!" Raising his eyebrows in surprise, he turned around to see the class representative Ayatsuji. "Hm? Oh, hello Ayatsuji-san. Can I help you?" Standing before him was the ever cheerful class representative Ayatsuji. Honestly he couldn't figure out how someone could be so chipper all the time as well as so busy.

She gave her usual smile. "Tachibana-san hello! i'm sorry to bother you, but I hope you wouldn't mind doing me a favor. I need someone to drop off this paperwork for the swim team at the pool. I wouldn't normally ask this, but the festival committee had a bit of an emergency." Junichi blushed slightly. "You..want me to go to the pool? What about the girl's swim team?" Ayatsuji chuckled. "Don't worry. The girls swim club isn't meeting today. I'm sorry to do this to you, but could you please?" she asked him with innocent puppy dog eyes. "Well...I..uh..."

It then cut to Junichi carrying the paperwork as he walked to the pool, letting out a sigh. "I swear, that girl has some sort of otherworldly power or something..." A few moments later, he reached his destination. Taking a covert peek he looked inside. It really did seem to be empty. He let out a relieved sigh as he stepped out from the shadows and walked towards the office. Placing the paperwork on the table, he put his hand on his hip. "Well, at least I could do THAT." Stepping out of the office he walked back towards the pool. "I suppose I should head home." He mused to himself.

Suddenly Junichi heard a voice in the distance. "It's all right Nanasaki, you head home. I'm going to take a few laps." The voice echoed through the hallway leading to the pool. Suddenly Junichi shot straight up. "Crud! I should probably get out of here." Picking up speed he began to power walk towards the exit. Avoiding a chair he had to move closer to the pool. This proved to be a mitake however as he stepped in an errant puddle, causing him to lose his balance.

Junichi flailed his arms futily as gravity took hold and brought him crashing down, his head making a loud THWACK as it hit the side of the pool, before he finally slide into the cold water.

Normally he could have easily been able to swim his way back to the top of the pool. However, the hit to the head made him woozy, leaving his extremities unresponsive. Sick and disoriented, Junichi began to slowly sink to the botoom of the pool.

He tried to feebly move his body, then stopped, putting on a small smile, his eyes closing. As he drifted out of consciousness though, he could have sworn he heard a muffled voice, calling out his name. But that was silly. No one would call his name. No one.

Everything was dark, but that was okay. Here he was alone. It was like his closet only without the stars. He could be himself here. He wouldn't have to worry again. But that's when the voice came again, calling his name.

In an instant, the darkness started to lift. His eyelids slowly started to flutter open. As they did, he came face to face with a familar person. The face pulled away from him to reveal his upperclassman, Hibiki.

Suddenly, he had the urge to vomit up water, which he did. His eyes slowly opened a bit more, focusing on the person in front of him. "Tsuka...hara...senpai?" An incredibly worried expression turned to one of relief on her face. "TACHIBANA! Thank goodness..."

"That's strange..." Junichi thought to himself. Why was she worried? What was going on? All he knew was that he was very tired. Slowly he started to close his eyes again. As he did, the voice called out to him again in a worried tone, but this time, it went completely dark.

(The Mid-episode bumper comes up revealing the words "Amagami SS")

Junichi opened his eyes. He still felt a bit wet, but a layer of dryness was on top of it. Turning his head around he gathered his bearings. He was in the infirmary. But what had led him there? His memory was still a bit fuzzy. Slowly he sat up. As he did a pain shot through the back of his head. He let out a grunt, causing him to sit bolt upright. As he did this, the curtain was pulled aside. Standing there was Hibiki. Seeing him get up, she breathed a sigh of relief. "Tachibana. Thank goodness. i'm glad to see you up." Junichi scratched his head, taking care around his bumped area. "What...what happened?" Very silently and seriously, Hibiki sat down on th edge of his bed. "Tachibana, I know thing seem bleak now, but what you did, that's not the answer. Haruka... she has rejected a lot of guys. It's not you. I'm sure you're a great person. You..you shouldn't give up because of that."

A silence filled the room before Junichi finally broke it off. "Um..Tsukahara senpai.. what...what are you talking about?" A stupified Hibiki turned back to him. "You..um..didn't you...?"

Suddenly the events of the past came back to him. "WAIT A MINUTE!" He was so loud that it shocked Hibiki. "You think I- NO! I was just there to drop off some papers for Ayatsuji-san. Then I heard someone coming. I panicked and tripped and..." he pushed his fingers together embarrassed.

At first a shocked expression crossed Hibiki's face. Then slowly her face returned to normal, then a soft smile as she put her hand to her head as she mumbled "thank goodness" to herself. Junichi raised an eyebrow and she immediately turned back to him. "But anyway, you need to be more careful. Accident of not, you almost drowned."

Junichi nodded slightly. "uh..right." Hibiki then coughed into her hand. "Right. Well, if you're okay, i'm going to head home. You should go home as soon as you feel able." Junichi nodded again.

Hibiki did a light bow. "If that's all, I'll take my leave." "Uh...okay." Junichi reponded quietly. Turning around, Hibiki then walked away, leaving a stunned Junichi behind. He then slowly laid his head back down, his mind beginning to wander. "Almost...drowned?" A quick flash of memory ran before Junichi's eyes as he remembered a mouth against his. the flashback ending he put two of his fingers to his lips.

For a brief moment he let a red tinge cross his face. Suddenly though, a thought broke through. "OH CRAP! I never thanked her!"

Immediately popping out of bed, he made a B-line for the door of the infimary. As he threw the door open he looked side to side. Unfortunately, she wasn't anywhere in sight. "Where did she go?" He mused to himself thoughtfully.

Crossing his arms, Junichi walked home alone from school. "I'm some kind of ungrateful. Senpai saves my life and I don't even thank her." It was later in the day and only a smattering of students were still walking home, although none paid any attention to him.

It wa then that he passed by a store. As he did, he happened to look inside and see all the wares that were available. As he did he snapped his fingers. "That's it! A present!" Digging into his pocket he pulled out his coin wallet. Opening it up he looked inside and sighed. All that was in there was his lunch money for the week and a few hundred yen. Closing his wallet he immediately smacked his face with both hands. "I have to do it." He said with gusto. And with that, Junichi stepped into the store

The next day, Junichi was tapping his foot anxiously as he looked at the clock waiting for the lunch bell. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the bell rang and Junichi picked up his bag and headed over towards the lunch room. Quickly a crowd began to form. As Junichi reached the lunch room he looked around in an attempt to locate the person he was looking for. After a minute he located her sitting down with Haruka who was bothering her as usual.

Seeing his target, Junichi took a deep breath and made his way towards them. A few feet away, Haruka noticed him. "Oh! Hi Junichi! How are things?" Junichi was so focused on his goal he forgot for a moment who he was looking for. "Oh, Hello Morishima Senpai." Hibiki smiled gently as she looked at Junichi. "I'm glad to see you're doing well." Junichi smiled back softly. "Yeah, thanks." A moment of silence passed as the two looked at each other. Haruka then proceeded to look between the two. "Huh? What...did I miss something?" Hibiki waved her hand. "No, no it's nothing. Anyway, i'm going to get some ramen. Haruka, you and Tachibana can-" "Actually" Junichi cut her off. "I wanted to talk to YOU Tsukahara senpai." A shocked look appeared on her face. "Me?" Shakily, Junichi reached into his bag, pulling out a wrapped gift. "I...I never told you yesterday. Thank you Tsukahara senpai." Hibiki looked from him to the gift and waved her hands frantically. "What? I...I didn't do it to be thanked! It wasn't a big deal, I couldn't-"

Haruka interrupted. "Hibiki, I don't know what is going on, but a cute boy is offering you a gift. Take it and say thank you." Now burning red, she slowly took the gift. "I..thank you Tachibana." Taking the gift she put it in front of her, not opening it. Haruka sat there for a moment and then huffed. "Geez! Are you going to open it or what?" Shaken back to reality, Hibiki looked down at it. "Oh, right." and began to open it. Finishing unwrapping it, the gift was revealed. "I noticed when you walk with Morishima senpai you didn't have one, so I thought maybe you needed one." Hibiki reached down to pull out a dark purple scarf. Smiling she looked back at Junichi. "Thank you Tachibana, it's lovely." Junichi smiled slightly. "Great! Well, thank you again." An awkward moment later, Junichi looked away. "Right. So, i'll be off." And with that, Junichi turned and walked away.

Hibiki still in shock, turned over to see Haruka, whose face was very close to Hibiki's. "Hibiki. You are going to tell. me. everything." She said in a sweet, yet somehow demanding voice.

A short explanation later, Haruka is squeeing. "Hibiki! That is amazing! It's like something out of a fairy tale! I always KNEW you were a prince! A shining knight, saivng the less fortunate! " Hibiki, embarrassed beyond belief was trying to keep her head down. "Haruka, please stop! And you CAN'T tell anyone." She said authoritatively. Haruka stopped in the middle of her fantasy. "But why?! Everyone should-" "No." Hibiki cut her off, a slight blush on her cheeks. Defeated, Haruka sighed. "Okay, it will be our secret, my prince!" She smiled and clapped her hands together. Hibiki just sighed in response. As her head turned down, she found herself looking at the scarf in front of her and couldn't help but smile slightly. Haruka caught this and gave her a goofy grin, to which Hibiki immediately whacked her in the face with the cardboard gift box. "Don't start." She said quickly.

The scene then cut to Junichi's class later as he is keeled over at his desk. "Gee Junichi, you don't look so good. Didn you eat lunch?" Kaoru asked a famished looking Junichi. He laughed weakly. "Guess I left my wallet at home." Kaoru sighed. "you're hopeless, I swear." Junichi just laughed in reponse nervously to this. "Yeah, that's me." We then see his coin wallet which is open inside of his desk. As we see inside it is revealed to be empty.

Episode end.


	2. Hibiki Tsukahara Arc: Episode 2: Prince

A group of small children are playing in the park. They can't be older than 5 or 6. One of the girls is standing a bit taller than the rest, although seems to be a bit more softspoken. They all smile while talking. "Yeah! Let's pla y princesses and dragons! Haruka can be the princess!" This causes Haruka to speak up. "Ooh! Then Hibiki has to be the prince!"

The kids all cheer at this idea. "Yeah! Hibiki you totally have to be the prince!" A young Hibiki is twiddling her fingers embarrassed. "Actually..I was hoping I..I could be the princess this time."

Haruka put her hands on her hips. "Oh come on Hibiki! You'd be so good at it! Pleaseee?" She put her hands together, giving her a pleading expression. Hibiki then looked out at all the hopeful faces and smiled weakly. "Oh...okay." A cheer erupted from the group as they headed to their spots. Gripping her skirt tightly, Hibiki fought back a tear and put on a strong face. She then headed back to the others.

The sun shined through the window as current Hibiki opened her eyes. Seeing her surroundings she put her hand to her forehead. "I haven't thought about that in ages." She thought to herself tiredly. Suddenly stopped as she felt somethig on her cheek. Bringing her finger over it she brought it into her field of vision. She looked at it, tiredly confused. "... a tear?"

(Kimi no Mama De intro plays)

"Junichi! Earth to Junichi!" Junichi's attention finally turned to his friend Umehara. "Man captain, you're really out of it. You sure you're okay?" Junichi smiled. "Yeah, i'm fine. thanks." He then went back to his previous position of looking forward. As he did more images flashed in front of him. "Did Tsukahara senpai really-" But his thought process got cut off as a voice called to him from the hallway. "Junichi-kun! Yoo hoo!" Kaoru, Umehara, and Junichi all turned to the voice along with the rest of the class as they saw Haruka.

Kaoru put her hand on he hip and looked back at Junichi with a smirk. "Well, someone's excited to see you." Junichi rolled his eyes in response.

Getting up he made his way over to Haruka. "Morning Senpai. Can I do something for you?" Strangely enough, over the past few days since his confession was rejected, it had gotten easier to talk to her. He no longer felt nervous or fluttery when talking to her. He wasn't sure why.

Putting her hands together Haruksa smiled. "Why yes! I was hoping you'd come with me to the pool. I thought we could see your sav-" Junichi immediately flailed his arms frantically. "HEY Morishima senpai! Great idea! Let's go!" Reaching his hands out he began to push a stunned Haruka from behind and out of the classroom.

(The episode title screen pops up)

Hibiki Tsukahara Arc  
Episode 2  
Prince

"Morishima Senpai! What are you doing? You told Tsukahara senpai you'd keep that a secret!" Haruka put a finger to her chin. "Did I? Oh right! I did!"

Junichi let out a sigh. "You have to be more careful with people's secrets." Haruka waved her hand up and down. "Right right. Anyway, the girls are swimming! Come on, I want to look!" Junichi crossed his arms. "And why do you need ME for that?" Haruka hit herself lightly on the head. "Hibiki always gets mad at me for trying to sneak a peek at the girls while they're swimming. BUT!" She clapped her hands together. "If I tell her you have something to tell her, she'll be too distracted by you to notice me!" Junichi raised his eyebrow. "But I DON'T have anything to tell her."

Haruka put on a devious expression, followed by turning around and putting her arms behind her back. "That's too bad. You know, even though it wasn't that cold out this moring, Hibiki INSISTED on wearing that scarf you gave her."

This actually caught Junichi offguard, but he quickly recovered. "Well i'm glad she like the gift, But I don't see-" His thought is never finished though as he's grabbed by the arm and dragged to the pool. With no hope of escae, they reach the pool. Haruka waves openly as Junichi does his best to look away at the girls.

Hibiki sees her and lets out a sigh. "What is it Haruka? You know this is for swim team members only." Haruka nodded. "I know! But Junichi-kun wanted to tell you something." She said as she pushed him ahead of her. For just a moment, Hibiki found herself blushing slightly but quickly fought it down. She let out a sigh. "Tachibana, i'm sorry Haruka dragged you into this obvious ploy." She said as she wrote something down in her notebook.

"Uh.." Junichi fought for something to say. "I..It's really impressive how you're the captain of the swim team. I don't think I could handlt the pressure. I think that's really cool." Hibiki stopped writing for a moment, then sighed. "Geez Tachibana, where did that come from?"Junichi awkwardly laughed. Suddenly, Haruka came to his aid. "Mm! I've been telling her that for a while! But she doesn't believe me! I keep telling her she gives off this air of royalty. Like a prince!"

Hibiki put up a soft smile. "Right right Haruka. Well if that's all-" Just then Junichi spoke, turning to Haruka. "I think you're right, but I wouldn't say a prince. She reminds me more of a princess, wouldn't you say?"

As soon as he finished saying this, Hibiki's face turned a deep pink as her eyes opened a bit larger. Luckily for her, Haruka was still speaking to Junichi so neither saw. "A..a princess?" She said to herself mutely. She was so shocked by this, that she accidentally let go of her pencil and it fell to the floor.

The sound caused Haruka and Junichi to turn back to her. Seeing their reaction, Hibiki snapped out of it. Fighting down a blush she picked up the pencil then cleared her throat. "Okay the two of you. You've had your fun. Now get out of here. Haruka i'll see you after practice." "Aw, really? Just five more minutes Hibiki!" Hibiki crossed her arms. "No!" Not being able to help himself, Junichi's eyes moved down to Hibiki's chest, which was being pushed up by her arms. Junichi immediately looked away. Seeing this reaction, Hibiki looked to where Junichi had been looking, and, embarrassed, unhooked her arms. Blushing she looked at them. "Just get out." After one more whine from Haruka, the two eventually took their leave. As they did, Hibiki let out a sigh. "I swear, those two." She said to no one in particular as a small blush crossed her face.

The next day, Junichi found himself walking down the hallway, his arms crossed. "Morishima senpai can be such a busy body. It makes you wonder how she and Tsukahara senpai ever became friends."

As he walked down the hall, he heard a noise down the way that distinctly sounded like a frantic noise. Taking a look ahead, he could see a freaked out Hibiki struggling with what seemed to be a mountain of boxes.

Without thinking, Junichi rushed over and grabbed the other side of the stack, stabilizing her. Hibiki let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you." "No problem." Junichi reponded, leaning his head around the other side. Hibiki coudl finally see her savior.

Seeing it as Junichi, she blushed for a moment, before recovering. "Th..thanks Tachibana." Junichi let out a small laugh. It then cut to them walking side by side, Junichi holding half the stack. "You really didn't have to help me Tachibana." Hibiki said embarrassed as they walked side by side. Junichi chuckled. "It's fine. How did you get like that anyway?" Hibiki looked off in the corner as if remembering.

It then cuts to a flashback of Hibiki walking alongside Haruka, holding half the boxes, looking annoyed. "Eh! Hibiki. Why do I have to hold the boxes?" Hibiki sighed. "Because you said you'd help me." "I know but-" Peering over her boxes, she looked down the hall to see Junichi, talking to himself. A devious smile crossed her face. "Sorry Hibiki! I forgot something! Gotta run!" and with that she unceremoniously dropped the boxes on top of Hibiki's stack and ran away.

It then cut back to the present. "Something like that." Hibki finished. Junichi chuckled awkwardly. "Yeah, that sounds like Morishima senpai." There was a silence that followed after this as they walked together.

Finally Hibiki was the one to break the silence. "By the way, thank you for helping me." She said to Junichi, who, surprised, lookd back at her. "Oh, It's no problem Tsukahara senpai." Determined to keep the conversation going, Junichi spoke up. "You know, normally I see you helping out a lot of people. You're really dependable Tsukahara senpai." Hibki's eyes shifted to the side, embarrassed. "It's not that big a deal. People just ask me to help more often than not." Junichi smiled. "Well, it's nice to get help sometimes too, right?" Hibiki didn't esond as she just looked forward.

Upon reaching their destination, Hibiki turned to Junichi. "This is fine. You can leave them there." Junichi nodded and put the boxes down. Putting the boxes down herself, she turned to Junichi. "Again, thank you."

Junichi nodded. "Yeah um..well, anytime you need help Tsukahara senpai, feel free to ask. And i'm not just saying that. Seriously, let me know." A bit shocked, she turned back to him before Junichi spoke again. "Well, i'll be heading off. Bye Tsukahara senpai!"

Hibiki merely nodded as she opened the door to put the boxes away. Stopping for a moment, she gave off a small smile. "He...offered to help. Why did that..." She trailed off, the smile still on her face as she stepped into the room.

(Mid episode bumper with series title pops up)

"Come on Hibiki, ou have to admit, your swim team is so cute this year! I just want to see them!" Haruka's voice is heard over the phone as Hibiki sitting on the floor talking to her.

Hibiki patiently listened then smiled. "I told you Haruka, you have to be on the actual team for that." "Oh, you're so stingy!" Haruka retorted. A short silence followed. Eventually, Hibiki spoke up. "Hey..Haruka?" Haruka perked up. "Hm? Yeah?" "What um...what do you think about-?" An image of Junichi flashed through her head. She blushed for an instant then shook it away. "What do I think about what?" Haruka asked with interest. "N...no, it's nothing. Anyway, I need to do some shopping tomorrow. Will you be free after school? We don't have swimming practice." "Eh? After school? Mm. I'll be free." Hibiki nodded. "Good. See you there. Okay. Bye Haruka." "Mm. see you tomorrow!"

Hibiki placed the phone back on the cradle. She then clutched her pillow she was holding tightly. "What is wrong with me?"

The next day, Junichi was outside eating an odd assortment of foods he had brought from home. "Man, all we had left was leftover rice and a day old meat bun." He let out a sigh. "Oh well, Itadakimasu." He said before starting to eat his lunch.

At that time, Haruka and Hibiki were walking past the window while in the lunch room. "So that's when I said-" Haruka was giving Hibiki a run down of that morning, to which Hibiki was politely listening. As they passed the window though, Hibiki's attention turned to the window as he looked out and saw Junichi. Seeing her turn her head, she followed her gaze to see Junichi. A smile formed on her face, followed by immediately dropping it as she called back to Hibiki. "Hey Hibiki. I really want ramen. Could you get me some? I have to go to the bathroom realy quick!"

Hibiki sighed. "Seriuosly Haruka? Fine. I'll get us a seat." Haruka smiled and put her hands together. "Thanks Hibiki you're a life saver!" She waited a few more moments for Hibiki to walk towards the large group of people waiting for food. As soon as she was sure that she was out of sight, she bolted outside and towards Junichi.

"Hey! Junichi-kun!" Hearing his name, Junichi perked up, his attention turning towards Haruka. "Oh, Morishima Senpai." There was a short pause as he had a thought. "That's strange..why am I a little disappointed?" Before he could explore this feeling any longer, she came up to him. "Hi!" She greeted him, a cold meat bun in his hand. "Um. Hi, what can I do for you Morishima senpai?" Haruka smiled at him. "I was wondering if you could do me a favor. I need to go shopping after school today. there's some heavy stuff and I was wondering if you could give me a hand." She put her hands together. "Please?" She asked him with puppy dog eyes. Junichi let out a sigh. "Okay, okay. Sure, i'll give you a hand." Haruka giggled. "Thanks Junichi-kun! You're a life saver!" Meet me at this cafe at 3:30. Bye!" She said handing him a slip of paper with an address on it. With that, she turned around and ran away, leaving a confused Junichi behind.

It cut to after schol as Junichi is seated at the diner. He looked at his pitiful wallet. He had received a few hundred yen for his allowance, but the best he could afford today was a coffee, which he awkwardly placed. Taking a sip he looked at his watch. "Where is she? It's already 4:45..."

As he was looking down he heard something. "Tachibana?" Hearing his name he looked up. As he did he saw Hibiki looking back at him. "Tsu...Tsukahara senpai?" She smiled gently back. "How are you?" Junichi smiled back embarrassed. "I'm..i'm good. Are you here by yourself?" Hibiki shook her head no. "No, i'm waiting for Haruka." Junichi stopped at this. "Wait..but I'M waiting for Morishima-senpai. She said she needed help shopping..." Hibiki immediately turned red. "She WHAT?" Immediately she pulled out her phone, stepping away from Junichi. A few rings later, Haruka picked up. "Hello?" "Don't 'Hello' me Haruka. Where are you? And why did you invite Tachibana?" Haruka chuckled softly. "Oh right! Sorry about this. Somethign came up at the last minute so I asked Junichi if he could help instead. Hope you don't mind! Well I have to go. Talk to you later! Bye!" An audible click went through as she hung up. "Haruka? HARUKA?" Hibiki called vainly into the phone. After realizing its futility, she hung up her phone.

She then turned around and walked back to Junichi. "Tachibana, i'm sorry. I was supposed to meet Haruka here too, but she cancelled and just let me know she was offering your services without telling me. I'm sorry she wasted your time." Hearing this, Junichi shook his head. "No no, it's fine. You're the one who actually needed help shopping, right?"

Hibiki stopped at this. "Well yes, but-" Junichi cut her off. "Well that's not problem. I'm already here. I'd be happy to help." Seeing his genuine smile, Hibiki blushed slightly. "Well, if you're going to offer, I could use the help. Thank you Tachibana."

Finishing his coffee, Junichi stood up. "Right. Shall we go?"Gripping her bag tightly, Hibiki nodded.

A short montage of the two of them shopping then played. They go in several stores such as a toy store, a clothing store, and few others are shown. The montage then ends and they reach a certain store. Hibiki looks to Junichi embarrassed. "Um...I need to pick up a few things. I'll meet you at the front of the store in about 10 minutes, okay?" A bit confused, Junichi tilted his head. "Oh...okay." Turning around, Hibiki walked off to the back of the store.

Junichi then proceeded to look around the front of the store as he waited. "Tsukahara senpai can be surprisingly fun when she's outside of school." He started to muse to himself. "I didn't know shopping could be so-" Suddenly he stopped. "Wait a second. I'm alone with Tsukahara senpai. And we're shopping. Does that mean it's a...date? No. no you shop with Kaoru and Rihocchi all the time. Just because it's a girl doesn't mean it's a date. Besides, you told yourself you were done after Haruka. No. you're just helping out a friend. Right. A friend who saved your life." As he was reassuring himself, his eyes moved over to one of the bags he was holding where he noticed a wallet. "Oh! Tsukahara Senpai left her wallet here. I better get it to her."

With that he walked deeper into the store. Not seemingly able to find her he kept searching. Finally he caught her head poking out from behind a display.

Smiling he walked up to her. "Ah! Tsukahara senpai. Sorry, but you forgot your-" He stopped however as he noticed wha she was holding. It was a frilly pink bra and panty set.

Her head turned towards him as she flushed a deep crimson. Junichi's face responded with a blush of his own. "S-sorry senpai! I...your wallet!" He said as he held out her wallet. Mortified, she took it slowly with her free hand. The moment she did, Junichi bowed. "I'm sorry!" and immediately ran to the other side of the store. After he left, she breathed a deep sigh and looked down at her wallet as she put on a soft smile.

It then cut to Hibiki meeting up with Junichi outside of the store. An awkward silence followed until finally Junichi broke it. "Um..i'm...i'm sorry. I wouldn't have come in if i'd known." Hibiki shook her head. "No, it's fine. I didn't tell you what I was doing. You couldn't have known. And it was my fault for forgetting my wallet. Thank you for that."

Junichi seemed a bit shocked as he nodded. "She was so understanding. It's like she had the ability to see the situation and take it in logically. She really is cool." He couldn't help but think to himself.

Another short silence followed. This time it was broken by Hibiki. "Um.." Junichi turned to her. "I bet you're thinking..that style didn't really fit me right? You think somethign more practical would have been my type?"

Junichi stopped for a moment, shocked by this question, then thought for a moment. "Honestly, I was a little surprised, but really, I think it would work well. After all, you ARE really cut-" Junichi caught himself as he started to say this. Hibiki immediately blushed a deep red. Junichi spoke up again. "I think it's important for you to do what you want to do. IF you like it, that's all that matters, right?"

Hibiki nodded slightly then put her head down. Another short silence followed as they continued walking. "Um...Tachibana, can I ask you something else?" Junichi turned his head. "Oh, sure." "What do you think about..." Each passing word got quieter until she trailed off. "About?" "No, it's all right." Before Junichi could question her sudden stop, they walked by a bridal store. Hibiki's eyes immediately were drawn to a gown in the window. It was an elaborate ornate white dress that looked fit for royalty. Junichi's eyes moved to it as well. "I be you'd look really beautiful in that Senpai." He said without thinking. This time it took her a moment to respond as she was blushing so deeply. When she did though, it was very loud. "WHAT?! NO! No! I wasn't thinking that! I... Come on I have one more store to go to." And with that she took off at a fast pace.

Junichi smiled to himself. "So, even Tachibana senpai can get flustered. I didn't know she could be so..cute." He found himself thinking. He then followed her.

The final shop was a grocery store. Junichi followed her inside as she started to gather groceries, as she looked for vegetables and meat. Junichi spoke as they were looking for some celery. "Do you do a lot of the cooking at home Senpai?" Hibiki nodded. "Mm. My parents aren't home much so I cook a lot. Mainly for myself." "Wow! That's amazing! If I lived without Miya, I would probably just eat out all the time." Hibiki turned for a quick second then relaxed. "Miya? Oh, right. Your sister." Junichi nodded. "Mm. Right. Of course though, if she had her way we'd eat meat buns everyday." Hibiki let out a soft giggle at the thought. "You sound as if you're very close." Junichi tilted his head. "Do we? I guess. She can be a handful though. So, what are you going to make tonight?" Junichi asked trying to keep the conversation going. " I was thinking curry tonight." "Wow that sounds so nice..." Junichi responded almost dreamily.

Hibiki stopped for a moment. She quietly put the celery in her basket. "Well...if you'd like, I could bring you some tomorrow. You know, as a thank you for helping me out today." Suddenly, Junichi had both fists clenched and looked at her with enthusiasm. "REALLY?" A shocked Hibiki nodded once. "mm." "I can't wait!" This caused Hibiki to blush slightly. "I..i'm glad then."

It then cut to the two waving goodbye as they headed their separate ways. After getting far enough away from her, Junichi brought his fist down. "Yes! I'm getting a homemade lunch from Tsukehara senpai!" A goofy grin was plastered on his face all the way home.

"How many times do I have to apologize Hibiki?" Haruka's voice asked over the phone as Hibiki is in her usual position sitting with the phone cupped in her hand. "You invited Tachibana on purpose KNOWING you'd ditch me, didn't you?" "Something important came up! That aside though, did you have a good time?" Hibiki's volume dropped at this question. "Eh? I...mm...yeah. Today was fun." "Hee hee. See? I told you it would work out!" Hibiki let out a sigh. "Yeah, okay. I"m still not letting you off the hook for this." "Right, right." Haruka giggled. "Well Haruka, I have to go. I have to do some cooking." "Mm. Okay. Have a good night." "You too." She then hung up the phone as she headed towards the kitchen.

Reaching into a bag she pulled out some groceries and began to get to work, a small smile forming on her face as she began.

End of episode


	3. Hibiki Tsukahara:Episode3:Transformation

A group of boys and girls were all standing around in a park. they couldn't have been older than 5 or 6 years old. One of the kids then spoke up. "Hey! Let's play Princesses and Dragons!" The kids all cheered at the idea. "And Haruka needs to be the princess!" A small Haruka smiled. "Well then Hibiki needs to be my prince!" Everyone then showed their approval of this idea loudly. Hibiki grabbed the hem of her skirt in embarrassment. "A..actually I was-" But she was cut off by another voice. "Hey! Could Hibiki be the princess this time?" Hibiki's head shot up as a young boy looked over to the group of kids. Seeing her look at him, the boy turned around to Hibiki, giving her a big goofy smile.

Hibiki opened her eyes. For a moment she was disoriented. Realizing where she was, she placed an arm over her head. "What...?" She began to ask herself in a soft voice, confused.

(Kimi No Mama De Intro Plays)

"Wow! You really made me lunch!" Junichi said excitedly as Hibiki held out a bento to him, blushing. "Well yeah, I said I would." "I know but.." He shook his head. "Thank you Tsukahara senpai." Taking it eagerly he opened it up to reveal a pristine looking curry setup. "Wow! It looks so good!" "I'm sorry it's cold" Junichi shook his head. "No no, this is great! Thank you!"

Surprised at his level of excitement, she nodded. "Right, well, enjoy." She said as she headed back over to Haruka, who was grinning ear to ear. "And what was THAT Hibiki?" Hibiki blushed slightly. "What was what?" "You just made Junichi-kun lunch, didn't you?" Hibiki tried to cover her embarrasment with an indifferent face. "Well after SOMEONE ditched me yesterday, Tachibana helped me out and didn't ask for anything in return. I wanted to thank him." "Mhmmmm" Haruka replied teasingly. Hibiki shot her a look which caused Haruka to laugh but back off.

(Episode title appears in corner)

Hibiki Tsukahara Arc  
Episode 3  
Transformation

"Wow! Captain! Where did you get such a beautiful lunch?" Umehara asked him clearly impressed. "Seriously! That looks pretty professional! Did you get it from your girlfriend? You holding out on us Junichi?" Kaoru asked teasingly.

"No of course not! Come on, you guys should know me better than that by now." Kaoru smiled. "Right right. After all, we wouldn't want to get the wrong idea about you and Tsukahara senpai." Hearing this, Junichi nearly choked. "W-WHAT?"

Kaoru smirked. "Hee hee. Thought you could come into my cafe and I wouldn't find out? I know everything that goes on in there." Umehara slammed his hands on the desk in shock. "WHAT?! So it's true?! How could you hold out on me like this Captain?!" Embarrassed, Junichi motioned with his hands. "Calm down, you're making a scene. It's no big deal, she and Morishima senpai were supposed to go shopping but Morishima senpai ditched her so I helped her carry some things. So she made lunch for me as a thank you." He explained as he went back to eating.

Kaoru and Umehara then looked at each other and raised an eyebrow. Eventually Kaoru spoke up. "Um, Junichi, girls don't normally make lunches for guys as favors." Junichi looked up. "What do you mean?" The two looked back at one another, then smiled. "Know what, never mind Junichi. Good luck!" With this they both got up and walked away to buy their own lunch, leaving a confused Junichi behind.

As they headed to get their food, they heard a voice behind them. "Psst! Hey!" Both Kaoru and Umehara turned around to see Haruka doing her best to look nonchalant. "Hey, can I talk to you two for a second?" Kaoru and Umehara turnd to each other confused.

The rest of the day finished without incident as it reached time to go home. Hibiki then walked over to Haruka. "You ready to go home Haruka?" Looking over to her she clapped her hands together. "Ah! I'm sorry Hibiki. I got another confession today and I have to go turn him down. You go ahead." Hibiki raised an eyebrow. "I can wait, it's fine." Haruka shook her head emphatically. "No, no. You go. I'll see you later, okay?" Hibiki looked up slightly confused. "Okay."

Meanwhile, Kaoru and Umehara were speaking with Junichi. "You guys heading home?" He asked his friends. Kaoru was the first to respond. "No, I actually have work today." "Sorry Captain, I have to help out my folks at the sushi shop. Speaking of, could you do me a huge favor? I really want this new manga, but I don't have time to go. Could you go for me if I gave you the money? Please?" He put his hands together.

Junichi waved his hand up and down. "All right, all right. You don't have to beg." Umehara flashed him a smile. "You're the best captain!" He said handing him the money. "Yeah yeah." As soon as Junichi left the room, the two immediately ran over to the door to peer around it. "You think he's going to do it?" Kaoru asked her friend. "Of course!" he replied. "Captain always keeps his word." Kaoru chuckled. " I totally thought you were going to have him buy a dirty magazine." Umehara looked to Kaoru as if hurt. "Geez, give me SOME credit." "Nope!" She responded. "So cruel!" Umehara said mockingly crying.

As Junichi left the school, he began to take a walk towards town. Passing the rest of his classmates he headed to the bookstore. As he did, Kaoru, Umehara, and Haruka all hid behind a telephone pole and peered out. "Are you sure Tsukahara senpai will come this way?" Kaoru asked worriedly. Haruka nodded. "I'm sure. She comes this way every day."

A few minutes later, Junich stepped out of the store. "I swear, he totally owes me one." He spoke to seemingly nobody. As he looked up though he was greeted with a familiar face. "Oh. Tsukahara senpai." The shocked Hibiki lookd up at him and gave him a small smile.

A few moments later they found themselves walking in tandem. "Oh, you live around here senpai?" He asked her congenially. She nodded. "Yes. This is my way home. You?" Junichi held up a bag. "I'm doing a favor for my friend. But I have to say, it certainly was a pleasant surprise seeing you again." Junichi said, causing Hibiki to blush.

As they approached a fork in the road, Junichi started to turn. There was a moment of silence before Hibiki spoke again. "Um!" Junichi turned back to her as she continued to speak nervously. "Are..are you free now?" Junichi looked up at her. "no...not really. Why?" She hitched up her bag on her shoulder. "Do you...do you want to take a walk?" Junichi opened his mouth in shock, then closed it, smiled, and nodded.

"It seems we've been running into each other a lot recently." Junichi said nervously. Hibiki nodded back embarrasedly.

About a minute later they found themselves walking by a park. Junichi knew this park well. This was the park where he was stood up two Christmases ago. He opened his mouth to speak when he was interrupted by the sound of a child crying. Hibiki heard this too and immediately headed over to the source of the sound. It didn't take long to find it. A few children were in a group by a swing set. A small boy was crying as he held his knee, a fresh scrape on it. Sighing, Hibiki looked over to Junichi. "I'll just be a minute, okay?" Junichi, a bit shocked, nodded. Taking a few steps over, Hibiki knelt down. "Well hello there. My name is Hibiki. What's your name?" The boy noticed her and responded through tears. "I'm...i'm Akira." Hibiki gave him a soft smile. "Well Akira, it looks like you had quite a spill there. Let me give you a hand." Reaching into her bag she produced some spray antisceptic and a bandage. "Now hold still, this might sting a bit." She said sweetly as cleaned the area, sprayed the wound and affixed a bandage. The boy did his best to act brave.

Finishing, she looked back at him. "You were very brave Akira. Try to be more careful now okay?" The boy looked up at her and smiled. "Thanks miss!"

The group of kids then waved to her and headed out, away from the two. Hibiki waved until they were gone. Junichi couldn't help but smile. "You really have a wonderful bedside manner." Hearing this caused Hibiki to smile. "Thank you. You know, I actually want to be a doctor." Junichi looked at her surprised. "Wow! A doctor! Yeah! I could totally see you as a doctor. You'd be really good at it!" Brushing a stray hair away, Hibiki blushed. "Do...do you think so?" Junichi nodded emphatically. "For sure! I know "I" would go to you."

Hibiki stalled as she daydreamed for a moment. "Tachibana...as my...patient?" She then immediately shook her head. What was she thinking?

Fortunately Junichi cut her off. "I wish I knew what I wanted to do..." He said musingly. Hibiki chuckled. "Well, I could always use a good pharmacist." Junichi laughed in response. As silence then fell, he looked around the park, his eyes falling on the bench he had waited on two years ago, his expression becoming dour. Hibiki noticed this. "Are you all right Tachibana?"

Junichi turned his head as he put on a soft smile. "I'm fine. I just...I don't have the best memories of this park." A silence followed after this. Finally Hibiki broke it. "If you don't feel lie talking about it, that's all right." Junichi shook his head lightly in response. "No, it's fine. It's just...two years ago I had a girl I liked. I was supposed to wait for her here but... she never showed up." Hibiki looked down dejectedly. "Oh, i'm sorry Tachibana, I didn't know." Junichi smiled sadly. "No, it's all right. I understand now. The rejection I got from Morishima-senpai helped me understand. I...i'm just-" But Hibiki cut him off. "NO! It's not you!" Her loudness shocked even her. Realizing how loud she was, she dropped her volume quickly, embarrassed. "It's not you." She repeated softly. "T..thanks." he said quietly. Another silence followed.

"Hey." Hibiki spoke up again. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you. Why did you confess to Haruka? I mean, guys seem to do it a lot and I can't understand it. I mean... I kind of do, but it seems so strange that so many guys would." This question caught Junichi off guard. After the shock wore off, he crossed his arms, going deep into thought. "That's a good question. Honestly, looking back, it kind of feels like an infatuation more than love. I think it was her zeal for life. It was infectious. But looking back... I don't think it was love." He shook his head. "No, i'm sure it wasn't." He then turned back to Hibiki and rubbed his head, laughing nervously. "Sorry, I guess that wasn't much help." Hibiki shook her head. "No, it helped a lot." Standing up, Hibiki took a step to the railing that looked out over the edge of the park. A slight breeze blew through the air, blowing her hair. She used a free finger to move her hair out of her face gently. A twitch went through Junichi's chest. "Huh? What was-"

Meanwhile, the three eavesdroppers were hiding out of visual distance. "What are they saying Umehara?" Kaoru asked her friend. "I can't hear from that far away Kaoru!" Haruka's eyes were shimmering. "I just know it's something romantic." She said dreamily.

Back with Junichi and Hibiki, Hibiki turned back to him. "Right, well, I should probably be going." Junichi nodded, standing up. "Right. Me too."

Awkwardly, the two fo them made their way towards the exit of the park. Hibiki taking one last look back at the view. This proved to be a bad call though, as she was so distracted, she didn't notice a protruding brick, causing her to trip. She let out a shocked sound as she tumbled into Junichi, who barely had time to turn around before she fell into him.

After the dust settled, Hibiki felt a warm sensation enveloping her. Opening her eyes she noticed she was perfectly fine as she was enrapped in Junichi's arms. Junichi let out a pained noise, laying flat on his back.

Slowly he opened his eyes. Once he did, he was shocked to see what he had done. In a flash he let go of her. "Ah! I'm sorry! It was instinctive! I-" Shaking herself out of the moment as well, Hibiki blushed a deep red, her eyes widened as she practically leapt off of him, landing a few feet away in the process. "No no! It was me! I'm sorry! Are you okay? You didn't fall on that spot on your head, did you?" Sitting up, Junichi shook his head. "No..no i'm fine. Are YOU okay?" Hibiki, still blushing, nodded. "I...i'm fine. Thank you. For...for catching me." Junichi scratched his chin with his pointer finger. "It...it was nothing."

A moment of embarrassed silence later, she spoke again. "Right, well, i'm off for real. I'll...i'll see you later Tachibana." And with that, she took off, leaving a stunned Junichi behind. As he watched her go, he found himself placing a hand on his heart. "Wha...what is this feeling?"

(Mid episode bumper)

Later that night, Hibiki found herself at home in the bath. She exhaled as she laid back. As she did, the memories of the past few days going through her head. "I say she's more like a princess" "you're cut-" her saving him, and the scene of him catching her all played in her head. As they did, she blushed deeply. A moment later she shook her head. "Hibiki, what are you thinking? Stop it now. Junichi's a nice guy. But..you.."

Luckily for her, her thoughts were interrupted as the phone range. Quickly she dried herself off, put on a towel and grabbed the phone. "Hello, Tsukahara residence." "Ah! Hibiki! How are you?" Haruka's voice greeted her. Hibiki smiled. "I'm fine. I was just taking a bath." "eee! Sorry! I didn't mean to interrupt!" Hibiki chuckled. "it's fine. So what's up?" "I just wanted to see how you were doing! More importantly, did anything interesting happen today?" Hibiki blushed in response. "I... not...not really." "ehhh?" Haruka said incredulously. "That didn't sound like nothing. Tell me!" "It was nothing really." Hibiki, still blushing, but grumpily. "It's just... I ran into Tachibana today after school again." "eee? Really? Wow! That's amazing! What happened?" "Nothing!" Hibiki responded quickly. "We just... we talked."

A silence filled the air for a moment. "Hey..Haruka. I have a question." "Okay! What is it?" "Um...what..what do you think of...Tachibana?" "Hm? Junichi? Hm...well, he's definitely funny. He's kind of cute and he's obviously dependable. Why do you ask?" "Um... i mean... he confessed to you, right? Don't you-?" Haruka cut her off. "Hibiki. Is this really about what "I" think about Junichi?"

Hibiki immediately blushed a deep crimson. "I...I..." Haruka grinned on the other side of the call. "If you're worried about me, don't be. I have no romantic attachments to Junichi at all. He is not my type. That's why I turned him down. However, now that I answered your question, it's my turn. What do YOU think of Junichi?"

Hibiki began to panick inside. Why? Why was this bothering her so much? "I..I.." Fortunately, Haruka cut her off. "You like him, don't you?" Hibiki almost dropped the phone as her eyes went wide.

Those simple words. It all made sense. Why she felt so strange around him. Why she was happy whenever he was around. Somewhere along the lines...she had fallen for him. "I...yes." She said barely audibly. The next moment the phone nearly exploded with sound on the other end. "YES! OH MY GOD! I KNEW IT! HIBIKI IT'S SO ROMANTIC AND-" Hibiki had to put the phone a good foot away from her head as so not to lose her hearing. Frantically she spoke up. "Hey! Haruka calm down! I..." "But you like him! Oh my goodness! That's so romantic!" "Haruka! Stop!" She said probably more forcibally than she meant to. Haruka did stop at this. "I...i'm sorry Hibiki." Hibiki shook her head. "no, it's fine. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound like that."

A moment of silence passed before Haruka spoke again. "So...what's your next move?" "What...what do you mean my next move?" "Well? Are you going to tell him? Get him to tell you? Oh! I'm so excited!" Hibiki was blushing immensely as she put a hand to her head. "I knew it was a mistake to tell you." "No no! I'm so glad you did!"

Another silence fell for a moment before Hibiki spoke again. "Haruka. Um...what...what do you think I should do?" "Hm? Well, if it were me, I'd probably tease him for a while." "You're terrible" Hibiki said with a smile. "Well that's what I would do. You? Well, the prince normally is the one who says how they feel, right?"

Hibiki's face turned to a somewhat shocked expression. "Mm.. right." "Well! There's your answer right there! Good luck Hibiki!" And with that, Haruka hung up.

Standing there, still holding her towel with one hand, she put the phone back on the cradle. She then smiled sadly. "The prince, huh?" She said to seemingly no one.

"Hm? A movie?" Junichi asked confused as Hibiki was producing two tickets. "Yeah, I had planned to go to the movies with Haruka, but she told me that she had no interest in seeing this film. I asked around the swim team and no one wanted to see it either. I can't get a refund, so i was wondering if you weren't busy..." Hibiki nervously fidgeted.

"Wait a second" Junichi thought to himself. "Is...is Tsukahara senpai asking me out? No. No, you were her last resort after everyone else bailed on her. It's a scary movie so it makes sense that she doesn't want to go alone. And i have been meaning to see that film anyway..."

Junichi smiled. "Sure. I'd love to go." Hibiki's eyes smiled as she heard this, but quickly reverted, coughing into her hand. "Well, that's...that's great then. I'll see you at the movie theater at 6." Junichi nodded as Hibiki walked away. As soon as she turned the corner and out of his vision, she put a hand to her chest and breathed a deep sigh of relief. "So, I don't want to see the movie, eh?" Haruka's voice broke through.

Hibiki tensed up as she turned her head to see her friends with a smirk on her face. "Sorry Haruka. But It seemed like the most obvious choice. I just..." she blushed. Haruka couldn't take it anymore and grabbed Hibiki in a hug "I just can't take it! You're so cute!" "Eh! Haruka!" Hibiki protested as Haruka nuzzled her. The other students simply looked on confused.

"Hm? What do you mean you'll be out tonight?" Miya asked her brother, meat bun in hand. "Just what I said, i'm going out tonight to see a movie. I'll be home around 9. Eat whatever you want. Just try not to kill yourself with meat buns. "Ee hee hee" Miya laughed her usual laugh. "That would never happen! I am the mistress of meat buns!" "Yeah yeah" Junichi responded as he stepped out of the room. "Well, i'm off." "Bye!" Miya said, already having lost interest, going back to her manga.

The walk to the movie theater was quiet and uneventful as he slowl made his way there. Finally reaching the front, he scanned the area as he looked for Hibiki. As he didn't see her, he took a seat. A few minutes went by as he continued to look for her, his eyes scanning the area. Every minute caused him more apprehension as he waited. "Is she not coming? Did she forget? Did-" But this caught cut off as He heard the sound of approaching footsteps. "Hi! Tachibana! I'm sorry I'm a little late! You haven't been waiting long have you?" Junichi shook his head as he put on a relieved sigh. "No, it's only been a few minutes." Hibiki smiled. "I'm glad. I have the tickets. Should we go in?" Junichi nodded with a smile. "Of course senpai wouldn't do that. She's not the kind of person who would." He thought to himself as they walked into the theater.

"Well you handled the tickets, i think it's only fair that I get snacks. Let me know what you'd like." Junichi said smiling. Hibiki, slightly embarrassed, blushed. "Okay. But I don't really-" She cut herself off as she shook her head. "If..it isn't too much trouble, a drink would be nice." "coming right up." Hibiki fought back a smile.

After Junichi bought the snacks they found a pair of seats relatively close to the back. They seemed to have just made it as the light began to darken as they sat down. "Whoo. Just made it." Junichi said relieved as the movie began.

During the beginning, Hibiki chanced a few glances at Junichi who was watching the trailers intently. As soon as Hibiki turned away though, he glanced over at her. "I'm seriously at the movies with Tsukahara senpai! This is so amazing! Wait. Calm down Junichi. She just took you as a friend. Besides, it's a horror movie. It's not like it's a romance or something. You're looking way too deeply into this. Don't do this to yourself. You're just going to get your heart broken again."

Hibiki noticed the determined look on his face as he was battling with himself and readjusted her eyes to the screen, somewhat disappointed.

About thirty minutes later, the movie was starting to get to the scarier parts. A few things had happened but nothing terrifying yet. Hibiki sat there cradling her drink. "Tachibana hasn't said anything in a while. Is he not enjoying himself? Of course he wouldn't..." She thought to herself sadly.

It was at that moment that a jump scare appeared on screen, causing Hibiki to scream and fling herself into Junichi's chest, who, shocked, dropped his snacks. A moment passed and Hibiki realized what she had did, and immediately sat up. "S-SORRY!" A shocked Junichi suddenly stood up straightly. "I have to go to the bathrooom. Be back." And robotically, he walked out of the theater.

A dejected Hibiki sat in her chair as she solemly played with her straw. "I knew it. I can't be- I thought maybe with him i could...but..." she slapped her face with both her hands. "If that's the way I have to be, then I'll do it."

A hot and bothered Junichi splashed his face at the sink in the bathroom. "Thank god I managed to make it out of there." He flashbacked to Hibiki freaking out and holding him. "Ah...I can't get over how cute scared senpai was! I can't believe she could be that cute..." he shook his head. "All right Junichi, get back in there and be her protector. You can do this!"

A minute later, Junichi walked back into the theaer and sat back next to Hibiki. However, this time, he felt an entirely different aura coming off of her. Her demeanor had changed completely. Now she was looking at the screen with intensity, her face hardened. "You okay Tsukahara senpai?" He asked her confused. She nodded curtly. "I'm fine." Junichi smiled nervously. "Oh, that's good." The rest of the movie went by in silence.

The film ended. Several scenes of horror and gore had gone by, but Hibiki had managed to keep her mask for the rest of the film all the way through to the end. Junichi got up to stretch. "Whoo. That was pretty good, wasn't it?" Hibiki nodded. "It was. Thank you for accompanying me Tachibana. It made it more enjoyable."

"It was my pleasure." They soon found themselves outside of the theater as they exchanged a few more words. "Oh man, she's pissed at me isn't she? Probably from putting my arms around her when she was scared. She probably think i was taking advantage or something. I should probably try to smooth that over." Junichi thought to himself.

"So um" he started to talk. "I just wanted to say, I'm sorry about before." Hibiki's ears perked up at this. "I..I know you don't need someone to protect you. It was instinctive. I won't do that again." Hibiki stopped as, shocked, she turned her head. "No, it's all right. I...I simply had a moment. Thank you Tachibana." Junichi smiled. "No, it's fine. I will admit I was a little shocked, but that doesn't change my opinion of you senpai. You're really cool." He stopped for a moment before starting again. "You know, I can actually see why Morishima Senpai said you remind her of a prince." Hearing this caused Hibiki's eyes to sting as she fought with all her might to hold back tears. She gave him a slight bow. "Thank you. I will see you at school." And with that, she quickly turned and began to walk at a fast pace away from him, leaving him alone and confused.

As she was walking her eyes burned more and more. "Why? Why does this hurt so much? Why? Why can't..." Having turned a corner, she eventually couldn't hold it in anymore and tears began to fall down her face. Trying to continue walking proved impossible so she stopped and leaned on a wall for support, tears now falling down her face in earnest. "I...I don't..." She couldn't even get the words out as she slowly collapsed to her knees and continued sobbing, as the camera faded to black.

End of episode.


	4. Hibiki Tsukahara:Final Episode: Princess

The next morning, Hibiki barely got a chance to have a moment to think to herself as Haruka ran up to her and began to ask questions at a mile a minute on their walk to school. "So how did it go? Did you have a good time?" Hibiki turned to her friend and put on a soft smile. "It was fine. The movie was good." She then turned her head back down and continued to walk forward. As they did, Hibiki stopped for a moment as passing on their left, she saw Junichi walking with his sister and his friends. Haruka followed her field of vision. "Oh. There's Junichi-kun." Sensing movement out of the corner of her eye, she looked back to see Hibiki walking ahead in earnest, her head down. This caught Haruka by surprise as she turned back. "Hey, Hibiki! Where are you- WAIT UP!" She announced as she picked up speed, following her friend to school. Hearing Haruka's call, Junichi's attention turned from his sister to the two of them, a soft but confused look on his face.

(Kimi No Mama De Intro plays)

"Eh! What do you mean nothing happened?" Haruka asked, incredibly surprised at her friend's recollection of the past days' events as they sat at the lunch table. Hibiki shrugged. "As I said. Nothing happened. The movie was fine" Haruka sat down, having stood up in astonishment. Putting her hand to her head she let out a sigh. "I swear, you practically hand him yourself in giftwrap and he doesn't get the clue. Did you try just coming out and saying something? I'm sure that would-" Hibiki put up her hand, stopping her friend. "No. It's fine. Don't worry about it." She gave Haruka a small smile. "Really. Thank you for worrying about me. But I'm fine."

Seeing her friend's insistance on the matter, Haruka sighed. "All right, all right. I won't push the issue. Today at least." She giggled. "Oh! That reminds me! Hibiki there's something you and I totally have to do!" Hibiki raised her eyebrow as she took a sip of her drink. Reaching into her bag, Haruka pulled out a flier as she brandished it to her. "Tada!" Still sipping on her drink, Hibiki glanced over the flier. Finishing reading it, she nearly choked. "COUPLE CONTEST?!" Haruka giggled at her reaction. "I was thinking maybe you and Junichi-kun could enter, but since that's not going to happen, I figured you and I could! I already have the most adorable outfits picked out! It'll be a lot of fun!" Hibiki blushed slightly. "You're not going to make me wear anything embarrassing will you?" Haruka shook her head. "No, no! It'll cover you entirely. I promise!"

Hibiki found herself smiling sadly for a moment before shaking it off. She then let out a sigh. "All right, fine Haruka, we'll do it." "REALLY?! Oh Hibiki! Thank you! You're not going to regret this! We're totally going to take the gold!" An embarrassed Hibiki shrunk back a bit. "Hey! Quiet down a bit Haruka!"

Meanwhie, over at Junichi's table, he found himself turning over to the loud noise which turned out to be coming from Haruka. "Huh. Morishima-senpai seems excited about something." Kaoru said confused. Junichi nodded quietly in response. "Yeah…I wonder what it was…"

(Episode title appears on screen)

Hibiki Tsukahara  
Final Episode  
Princess

As Haruka began to eat with Hibiki, she glanced in the direction of Junichi, a determined look on her face.

A few minutes later, Hibiki stepped up. "Excuse me, I have to do something for the swim team. I'll see you later Haruka." "Mm." Haruka nodded as her friend walked away, seemingly less of a slight skip she had in the previous days. Once she was certain she was out of range, Haruka stepped up and walked over to Junichi's table.

"Hey! Junichi-kun." Haruka said as she reached his table. A surprised Junichi turned up. "Oh! Morishima senpai. Hello. Can I help you?" Haruka nodded. "I need you to meet me behind the school in five minutes. You better be there." She said in her huffy way, then immediately turned around and walked out.

"Eh… behind the school with Morishima senpai. How-" But Umehara didn't get to finish his sentiment as Junichi shoved his bread in his mouth. "Oh shut up."

A few minutes later, Junichi found himself walking behind the school, pondering what his senpai could possibly want. He didn't have to wait long for this as, turning the corner he was greeted by Haruka with her arms crossed staring at the corner, seemingly waiting for him to arrive. Seeing him there, she nodded approvingly. "Mm. Good, at least you can be counted to be on time." Junichi looked at her confused and scratched his chin. "So um…what did you need to talk about senpai?"

Haruka let out a sigh. "Well, since you seem to be a bit clueless, I'm going to come right out and ask it. What do you think of Hibiki?"

This question caught Junichi offguard as he looked back at her and blinked. "H..huh?" Haruka cocked her eyebrow. "It's not a hard question Junichi-kun. What. Do. You. Think. Of. Hibiki?"

Junichi stood there, completely at a loss for words. "I..I…" Haruka chuckled. "You really are hopeless, aren't you? So, tell me, what did you say to Hibiki last night?" Junichi looked at her confused. "What did I say?" Suddenly a realization hit him. "Wait! Is she upset?!" He asked with such intensity it actually shocked Haruka, who quickly recovered. "Ooh! Nice reaction!" She said with a smile as she gave him a thumbs up.

"I've known Hibiki for quite a while and I can tell you, she was definitely upset. So what did you tell her?" Junichi put his finger to his chin as he thought. "Well, all i said was that I understood why you called her a prince and I was really glad we could be friends."

Haruka put her head in her hands after Junichi finished speaking. "Junichi-kun! No WONDER she's upset! You are so hopeless!" Junichi cocked his head confused. "Huh?" Haruka sighed as she pulled something out of her pocket. "Junichi, you need to think about what you said. And also what you feel." Walking over to him, she handed him the piece of paper she had in her pocket. Taking it, Haruka continued to walk past him.

Putting her hands behind her back she stopped as she passed him, not looking at him. "You know Junichi-kun, for someone who confessed to me so easily, you sure don't know your own emotions. Think about it." and with that, Haruka walked away, a smile on her face.

Still standing there, Junichi looked down at the folded paper and slowly began to open it up. As he opened it, the words "Couple Contest" appeared. Flipping the paper over was a phone number, with the words, "Good luck." He looked back up, and then back down to the paper, a confused look still on his face.

Later that day, Junichi found himself at home, laying on his bed, the events of the past days going through his head in a flashback. From the events of her saving him, to them going to the market and the park together, her making him lunch, and then them at the movie theater. Upon seeing her smile in the flashback, Junichi opened his eyes slowly. "Why do I keep thinking about her? And why did not being able to talk to her today hurt so much?" Suddenly Haruka's face entered his mind. "You sure don't know your own emotions. Think about it."

"My own…emotions." Haruka's face was suddenly replaced with Hibiki's. Her smile filling his heart. His eyes popped open in realization. "I..I love Tachibana senpai." He said to no one in particular. Suddenly other recent events passed through his mind."I can see why Morishima senpai says you're a prince." "You're thinking they don't suit me, right?" "I think you'd look good in that outfit." "I don't know, I would say she's more like a princess."

He gasped a short gasp. "I..I understand. How could I have been so stupid? She…" Immediately he dug into his pocket and pulled out the paper, flipping it over to the back. Typing in the numbers at lightniing speed he pressed call. "Hello!" A cheery Haruka responded. Junichi immediately spoke into the phone louder than he probably meant to. "Morishima senpai!" "Ah! Junichi-kun! Hello! So…what did-" "ENTER ME IN THAT CONTEST!" There was a short silence before Haruka spoke again. "Oh! Really now? And why would that be?" "Because…I..i understand what it was you were trying to tell me." "Hmm? What would that be? I don't quite know what you're talking about." Junichi moved the phone in embarrassment. "I.." his voice went quiet. "I love Tsukahara senpai." Suddenly a squee came through the other line. "I knew it! Okay! Just leave everything to me!" And with that, the phone disconnected. Hanging up the phone himself, Junichi clenched his fist, a determined look on his face.

(Mid episode bumper pops up)

The next night was the night of the contest. Hibiki had walked, albeit reluctantly with Haruka to the entrance. Hibiki let out a sigh. "Haruka, I'm a bit worried considering you've never let me actually SEE this outfit. You promise it's nothing too revealing?" Haruka smiled, pulling Hibiki by the arm. "It's fine, it's fine! Okay. Meet me backstage in five minutes. I'm going to get us signed in."

Hibiki, seeing her friend's excitement merely shook her head. "All right, all right. Fine, go ahead. I'll see you in a minute." Smiling, Haruka took off, a bounce in her step as she left for the stage.

A few minutes went by as Hibiki leaned up against a wall. As she did she so several couples walk by, her stomach twisting every time one did, but refusing to let it show in her face. Eventually the couples stopped walking in, and Hibiki glanced at her watch. Before she knew it, fifteen minutes had gone by. She sighed. "Figures. That girl can't even keep track of time." Annoyed, she stood up and walked towards backstage.

Hibiki found Haruka sitting on a chair backstage. Seeing Hibiki walk up to her, she grabbed her ankle. "Ah, Hibiki! I'm so sorry. I was so excited that I accidentally tripped and twisted my ankle." Hibiki let out a sigh. "Somehow that sounds just like you Haruka." A moment passed before Hibiki spoke again. "Look, don't worry about the contest. I'll go tell the judges that we're withdrawing. There's no way I'm letting you limp onstage." Haruka shook her head. "No no, Hibiki, you can't withdraw!" Hibiki put her hands on her hips. "Haruka, I'm not taking no for an answer. There's no way you're going on stage like that." Hearing this, Haruka grinned. "Well, then I have some good news for you! I found you a replacement!" Hibiki looked shocked at this. "A replacement?" Haruka nodded. "Mhmm!"

Hibiki put on a soft smile. "Haruka. It's fine. You're the one who wanted to-" "STOP IT!" Haruka said loudly. It was so loud and with such force that it actually took Hibiki aback. "I'm sorry." Haruka said as she looked embarrassed at her volume. "This..this is just something I need you to do. For me." Haruka looked at her friend with shimmering eyes, in a way she hadn't seen her look at her before. As if it were in a genuine, pleading way. Seeing her friend in this way, Hibiki looked at her confused. "I..o..okay Haruka, if that's what you really want, I'll do it. But..who did you get to replace you?" Haruka put her smile back on as she wagged her finger. "That. Is. A. Secret." Hibiki raised her eyebrow in surprise. Haruka then pointed to a door. "Your outfit's in that dressing room. "

Still confused, Hibiki nodded and walked towards the door. Reaching the doorknob, she slowly turned the knob and opened the door. As the door opened, her face became frozen in a state of shock, as a single tear fell down it. Her face still frozen she turned her head back to Haruka, who was smiling at her. "Good luck Hibiki."

Hibiki stood backstage, looking out over the crowd, as it was packed the brim with people. "I…I don't know if I can do this." Hibiki said aloud. A short silence followed as she took a small step back. A pair of hands on her shoulders stopped her. "You can. I'll be right there with you." Hibiki was surprised to hear a voice that wasn't Haruka's. Turning around she could see Junichi, but all she could really see was his face, it too dark to see his full outfit. "Let's do our best." He said as he gave her a gentle smile.

"And now for our final couple, Tsukahara and …Tachibana!" A silence fell over the crowd as they heard those two names. Kaoru and Umehara who were in the audience turned to each other. "TACHIBANA!?" they said loudly, breaking the silence.

Confidently, Junichi stepped out, the lights hitting him. It was then that Hibiki and the others were able to see Junichi in his full outfit. As if he stepped straight out of a storybook, he was decorated in an outfit set for a prince. Ornate blues and golds adorned him, and he even had a long blue cape that fell from his back. He walked with grace and dignity as he reached the center of the stage. The audience oohed and ahhed at his outfit unti he slowly looked up and faced the audience. Grabbing the microphone he spoke loudly.

"My dear and loyal subjects, I now present to you, PRINCESS TSUKAHARA!" At that moment, the spotlights tuned to hit Hibiki full on. She blinked for a moment as her eyes adjusted. As they did, she could see that Junichi had made his way over to her and bent down, offering her his hand. "Come with me, my lady."

A blushing Hibiki, took his hand gently and followed his lead. As she walked on stage, the audience gasped in astonishment as Hibiki came out in an incredibly beautiful princess outfit, the dress ornate and absolutely gorgeous. Hibiki held her breath as she looked out over the audience. Several people softly gave comments. "That's Tsukahara senpai?" "She's beautiful!" Comments of that nature came out as Hibiki stood there frozen. That is until she heard Junichi whisper in her ear. "Just follow my lead Tsukahara senpai." Blushing, she nodded slightly.

Taking one of his hands, he put it on her waist and he grabbed her other hand. As he did so, a soft music began to play from backstage. A shocked Hibiki looked at him as he began to move with the music, leading her in a waltz. Afer a moment of realizing what was going on, Hibiki followed him, a gentle smile on her face.

The next minute was in complete silence except for the music as the audience was enraptured in their dance, as if watching the ending of a fairy tale. Hibiki just stared into his eyes as they kept dancing, as if the world around them had fallen away. Sadly though, the music ended and the two stopped dancing and they looked at each other. As they started to get lost in each other's eyes, an uproarious applause broke them out of the moment as the entire audience burst as if threatening to blow the roof off with their cheers and applause, least of which Kaoru and Umehara who were blowing out whistles.

Junichi and Hibiki, embarrassed, averted their eyes from each other as they let go.

"Next up is the speech part of the contest. Tachibana, please tell us what you like about your princess." Smiling gently, Junichi stepped forward and took the microphone. A silence fell over the crowd as he began to speak. "Most of you here know Tsukahara senpai. She is in your clubs, she helps you out without any reason or expectation of anything in return. Her goal is to be a doctor. To help people for the rest of her life. I am proud that at least for today, she is my princess."

Finishing his speech, the crowd applauded anew. The microphone was passed over to Junichi. "Tachibana…every time I think I understand him. Every time I think I have him figured out, he does something like this. No matter what, he always pulls through, and always tries to help everyone out. He's dependable, and I am proud to…for at least today… call him my prince."

As she finished, she gave a small curtsy. The audience once again burst into applause as she handed back the microphone and after bowing, walked off the stage with Junichi.

After walking off, they took a few extra steps to the side of the stage to get their space. She then put a hand to her chest as she took a deep breath. "I can't believe I just did that." She said out loud followed by a soft giggle.

Giving her a soft smile back, Junichi looked into her eyes. "Tsukahara senpai. I have to tell you. I'm sorry." Hibiki looked at him a bit confused, but then started to open her mouth but Junichi kept speaking. "I was wrong. A while ago when I said that I thought I understood. I didn't. I know that now. Throughout all the time we spent together, I saw little pieces of you, trying to get out. But they kept being pushed back. At first, I thought that was you not being yourself. But then I soon realized, those pieces were EXACTLY who you were. When you were scared at the movies and clung to me, I was actually really happy. Of course, I didn't exactly show it at the time. I thought you were embarrassed, but when I came back, it seemed like you covered yourself back up again. And it seemed as if you were hurting because of it. You gave everything to me senpai, you not only saved my life, but you gave that life meaning. I once said that I could see why Morishima senpai called you a prince. That was wrong of me to say. I said that because I thought that was what you wanted to hear. I didn't say what I really thought. That…" Junichi took a deep breath. "That not only do I think of you as a princess, but…I want you to be MY princess. Not just tonight, but for the rest of our lives. I love you Tsukahara senpai."

Throughout his speech, Hibiki's expression hardly changed until the end. At that point, tears began to fall down her face. "All this time, I thought that I couldn't ever be that kind of girl. That I could never be the princess. I had to keep up acting like the prince. People need me, they depend on me. Is it…is it really okay to have this? I want it so badly but…is it okay? Is it okay to want this?"

Junichi smiled back at her. "It is, if that's what you really want." Junichi gently wiped a tear away from her eye, which caused Hibiki to smile. "In that case…I want you.. to call me Hibiki." Junichi looked a bit shocked, but then smiled. "Sure thing…Hibiki." Hibiki closed her eyes and leaned in. Catching her cue, Junichi leaned in too. However, a mere inch before their lips met, a voice broke the moment. "And now! Our judges have decided the winners of the contest!"

Hibiki and Junichi embarrassed, turned away from each other and then smiled awkwardly. They both turned towards the stage In anticipation. Hibiki made a slight twitch as she felt a hand move into hers. Looking over to Junichi she blushed as he smiled back at her.

The announcer continued to speak. "And by unanimous decision, the winners are…. PRINCE TACHIBANA AND PRINCESS TSUKAHARA!"

Hibiki's free hand shot to her mouth as her name was announced, her eyes starting to shimmer with tears again. An uproarous applause came from the audience as Junichi elegantly lead her by the arm onto the stage, standing in front of the crowd.

As the applause eventually died down, the announcer looked over to them. "Congratulations you two! As our winners, is there anything else you would like to say?" Junichi looked to Hibiki, who demurely and shyly nodded. The announcer put the microphone closer to her mouth seeing this.

"I..I didn't get to say this earlier, but ..Tach..no. Junichi.. I love you." Junichi blushed immensely as looked back at her and nodded. "I love you too, Hibiki" and with that, the two of them leaned in, and finally kissed.

The entire audience exploded with a mixture of uproarious applause, cheers and whistles, even moreso than it had done earlier. In the audience all of Junichi's friends and his sister made sure to cheer their heart out. "WAY TO GO NINI!" broke through the crowd as the rest cheered.

Even Haruka couldn't hold it in anymore as she leapt out of her seat, her leg "somehow" healed. The image faded to white with the two of them kissing, the audience still cheering.

"Hey! Senpai!" Nanasaki announced to her senior as they were both working the booth at the founder's festival. Hibiki shook herself back to reality as they were manning the booth. "Hm?" She asked as she turned to her junior. "Yes Nanasaki?" "Are you okay? You sort of zoned out there for a minute." Hibiki shook her head. "No, I'm fine." Nanasaki giggled. "You're thinking about Tachibana senpai, aren't you?"

Hibiki blushed immensely. "What? no I'm not!" A voice interrupted her thought. "Ah really? That's too bad. I was kind of hoping you'd be thinking of me." Both of them turned to see Junichi standing there, a smile on his face. Hibiki put her hands on her hips trying to act indignant, but her blush gave her away. "Geez, Junichi, I don't think about you all of the time…" "Well were you thinking of me just then?" Hibiki blushed even deeper. "That's not the point." Junichi chuckled at her fluster. "Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to walk around the festival together." Hibiki sighed. "I'd love to but I have to-" But Nanasaki cut her off. "She would absolutely love to." She leaned in to whisper to Hibiki. "I can cover this. Go ahead senpai." A bit shocked, she turned back to Nanasaki and smiled. "Okay. Thanks Nanasaki."

Hibiki turned back to Junichi "Okay, yeah sure let's go". Taking off her apron she emerged from her stall to meet up with Junichi. "I'm glad you were able to get some away time." He said to her with a smile as they began walking through the different stalls of the festival. She nodded as she wrapped her neck in a purple scarf. Seeing the scarf, Junichi smiled. "I'm happy you like the scarf."

Realizing what he was sayiing, Hibiki smiled gently. "Well, I received it from a very special person. I received it from my prince." Junichi took her hand hearing this. "And I plan on being that prince forever, if the princess will let me."

Hibiki smiled lovingly as she looked back at him. "I'm going to hold you to that." Junichi smiled back. "You better" as he gripped her hand tightly, to never let her go.

\- Ten Years Later-

"As long as you give him plenty of fluids and he takes these pills I'm prescribing, your son will be just fine Mrs. Kurozawa." The woman bowed to the doctor. "Thank you so much for taking the time to see us Doctor Tachibana." Hibiki waved her arm up and down. "It's fine. I'm glad I had an opening today. After all, we want to see Yoru better soon, right Yoru?" The little boy sniffled and then looked at her and smiled.

A few moments later, the three left the room as Hibiki continued to look at a chart. Her receptionist then spoke up. "Um, excuse me, Doctor Tachibana, your 3:15 is here." Hibiki looked up from her board. "That's strange. I thought I told you that I was leaving early today." The receptionist smiled. "Well, you did, but I thought that you'd want to make an exception here."

The door leading from the reception to the general public opened, reveaing a dressed up Junichi. "Now, I know you normally don't take adults, but I was wondering if you'd make an exception this time. I'm suffering from a broken heart, doctor. I haven't seen my wife in around eight hours and it's killing me."

Hibiki smiled at her husband's entrance. "Oh really now? Well if that's the case, what kind of doctor would I be if I let such a valued pharmacist die on my watch?"

Junichi nodded. "Exactly! I need 30 cc's of Hibiki" Hibiki shook her head at Junichi. "30 cc's? is it really that bad?" Junichi overexaggeratedly put his hand on his chest. "When it comes to doses, I believe I am quite the expert."

Hibiki lightly bopped him on the head with her clipboard. "Don't get too full of yourself there Doctor." Junichi smiled. "Right, right."

At this point, they had made it to Hibiki's office as they closed the door behind them. Hibiki let out a sigh. "Really Junichi, what am I going to do with you?" She turned and put her arms around his neck. "Coming in nearly every day to my office. How are you supposed to get any work done?" "Is it my fault that I can't resist my alluring princess?" Junichi responded kindly. Hibiki blushed at this.

"You..you know, calling me princess isn't going to work every time." She said as she looked to the side, embarrassed. "Well I'm still going to call you that no matter what." Hearing this, she turned back to Junichi, a glisten in her eyes. "Do you promise?" Junichi nodded and smiled warmly. "Promise." And with that, they leaned in, and kissed.

(The End appears on screen)

 _AN: Watching through the entirety of Amagami again, seeing Hibiki not get an arc once again bothered the hell out of me. I knew if they weren't going to give her her own four episode arc, I had to. I needed to relieve my brain of this as it was something that just needed to come out. I hope those of you who know about this show and wanted a Hibiki arc feel like this was in character enough and was a good version of what would be entailed in a Hibiki arc. With that said, thanks for reading!_


End file.
